Button-setting machine.



' G. E. PARKER. BUTTON SETTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.14, 1910.

982,296. Patented Jan-24,1911.

GEORGE E. PARKER, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HEATON-PENINSULAR BUTTON FASTENER COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR-PORATION 0F MAINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24., 1911.

Original application filed December 15, 1909, Serial No. 533,161.Divided and. this application filed March To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. PARKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inBut-- ton-Setting Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to an improvement in button-setting machines forattaching buttons with connected fasteners to boots, shoes or otherarticles.

The present application is a division of an application filed by meDecember 15, 1909, Serial No. 533,161. In said prior application, ofwhich this is a division, there is shown and described a feed-chutewhich is adapted to also constitute a package in which the buttons andfasteners threaded together may be shipped and handled until ready forapplication to the machine or set ting implement and which is adapted tobe readily connected with the setting machine or implement to feed thebuttons thereto when it is desired to attach the buttons to the articlefor which they are intended.

The object of the invention covered by the present application is tocombine with the setting implement an attachment whereby the feed-tubemay be readily attached to and detached from the setting implement andprovide a convenient feed-connection between the feed-tube and thesetting implement.

The invention will be fully understood from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novelfeatures are pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the closeof the specification.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a setting toolwith a feed-tube attached thereto embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the feed-tube and clip on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3is a side elevation, enlarged, of a portion of the setting implementshowing the sluiceway with which the feed-tube is to be connected and afriction spring for binding the coupling to the feed-tube and*sluiceway. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line 4l4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5is aplan view of the sluiceway of the setting implement, the de- SerialNo. 549,181.

them to the setting jaws of the implement I and C represents thecoupling for connecting the feed-tube with the sluiceway.

The feed-tube A. .is provided with a slot 1 extending lengthwise thereofon the upper side through which the shanks of the buttons pass and isprovided with a channel or run way 2 in the bottom of the feed-tube toafford clearance for the eyes 3 of the buttons l and is formed with thetwo opposite lateral guide ways or grooves 5, 5, for the guidance andpassage of the fasteners 6, the fasteners lying with their legsextending substantially at right angles to the shank of the button insliding down the feed-tube as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to retain the buttons and fasteners in the tube after the tubeis filled until it is desired to connect it with the setting device, astop is provided at each end of the tube to prevent the buttons fromslid ing out endwise. The particular means for doing this is notmaterial to the present branch of the invention. One means of doing thisis the means shown in the drawings and forms part of the inventionclaimed in said application, Serial No. 583,161; that is, to bend orcrimp in slightly that end of the tube which is the outermost when thetube is attached to the setting implement as indicated at 7 To preventthem from sliding out at the feed end of the tube until ready for use, aspring clip 8 is pro vided which may be sprung on over the upper side ofthe feed-tube at any point desired. After the feed-tube is connectedwith the setting tool by the coupling, the spring clip may be removedfrom the lower end so as to allow the buttons to feed.

The sluiceway B of the setting implement is formed with a rearwardlyextending grooves trough 9 having a bottom groove or channel 10corresponding with the bottom groove or channel 2 of the feed-tube andlateral channels 11 corresponding with the lateral grooves 5 of thefeed-tube to support the legs of the fastener. The said trough is openat the top. The flange guides 12, 12,, of the sluiceway B rise above thetop of the trough so that the rear ends 16 of the said flange guideswill form a shoulder against which the end of the coupling will abut.

" The coupling G is tubular with a longitudinal slot 13 throughout itslength on the upper side, the interior cross-sectional contour of thecoupling being such that it will slide or telescope onto the out-side ofthe 'trough of the sluiceway. In the form shown it is substantiallyrectangular in cross-section, except for the slot in the top. The slot13 through the coupling G is somewhat wider than the slot 1 through thefeed-tube.

The flanges 14: on each side of the slot 1 in the feed-tube are turnedupward, preferably substantially at least as high as the top of theflanges 15 of the coupling C, so that the heads of the buttons as theyride down the feed-tube will ride on the elevated edges of the flanges14:, and as they pass through the slotted way of the coupling thelaterally projecting head of the button projects beyond the inclinedflanges of the feedtube. As the button and fastener enter the slottedway of the coupling, the head of the button will be raised suflicientlyso that it will not strike against the ends of the flanges of thecoupling. Preferably the flanges of the feed-tube are concaved slightlyin cross-section as will be seen by reference to Fig. 4 so that theupward incline will be curved instead of straight. Preferably theflanges 15 of the coupling are thinned down toward the inner edges,thereby rendering the coupling more easily spread open to permit slidingit into clamping position and preferably also the under side 18 of thethinned edge is curved to fit on the curve of the feed-tube so as toavoid a square shoulder. The forward end of the coupling buts up againstthe shoulder 16 formed by the ends of the flange guides 12- of thesluiceway B. The inclined edges of the flanges 1 1 of the feed-tubeshould be substantially on a level with the flange guides 12 of thesluiceway, so that the but tons will slide freely from the feed-tubeonto the flanges of the sluiceway B,

On the underside of the curved trough 9 of the sluiceway is a forkedspring 17 the forward end of which is secured to the under side of thesluiceway, the rear end being free and preferably forked, being normallyat a little distance below the sluiceway and adapted to be moved upunder tension, the forked ends 25 of which will strad dle the downwardlyprojecting tongue portion 26 of the trough 9. Vhen the coupling C istelescoped onto the end of the trough of the sluiceway it will engagethe spring 17 and press it upwardly toward the trough, the purpose ofthe spring being to hold the coupling firmly by an elastic pressure inengagement with the trough of the sluiceway. When the supply of buttonsand fasteners in the feed-tube is exhausted, the feed-tube may beremoved from the setting implement and another loaded feedtubesubstituted.

What I claim is:

1. A button-setting machine for buttons and attached fasteners having alongitudinally slotted sluiceway, a grooved trough projection connectedwith said sluiceway and projecting beyond the end thereof, having agroove in alinement with the slot in the sluiceway and which is adaptedto form a seat for a slotted feed-tube when the end of the feed-tube isbroughtinto engagement with the end of said sluiceway, and aslottedcoupling which is adapted to clamp a feedtube to said trough.

2. A button-setting machine for buttons and attached fasteners having'alongitudinally slotted sluiceway, a grooved trough projection connectedwith said sluiceway and projecting beyond the end thereof, having agroove in alinement with theslot in the sluiceway and which is adaptedto form a seat for a slotted feed-tube when the end of the feed-tube isbrought into engagement with the end of said sluiceway, and a, slottedmovable coupling which is adapted to clamp a feed-tube to said trough,the slot in said coupling being wider than the slot in said sluiceway.

3. A button-setting machine for buttons and attached fasteners having alongitudinally slotted sluiceway, a grooved trough projection connectedwith said sluiceway and projecting beyond the end thereof, having agroove in alinement with the slot in the sluiceway and which is adaptedto form a seat for a slotted feed-tube when the end of the feed-tube isbrought into engagement with the end of said sluiceway, and means forclamping a feed-tube to said trough projection.

4. A button-setting machine for buttons and attached fasteners having alongitudinally slotted sluiceway, a grooved trough projection in whichsaid sluiceway is seated and connected therewith, said trough projectionextending beyond the end of the sluiceway and adapted to form a seat fora feed-tube, the end of said sluiceway forming a stop for the end of afeed-tube.

5. A button-setting machine for buttons and attached fasteners having alongitudinally slotted sluiceway, a grooved trough projection connectedwith said sluiceway and projecting beyond the end thereof, having agroove in alinement with the slot in the sluiceway and which is adaptedto form a seat for a slotted feed-tube when the end of the feed-tube isbrought into engagement with the end of said sluiceway, the slot in thetrough being wider than the slot in the sluiceway, and a slidabletubular coupling which is adapted to connect a feed-tube with saidtrough, said tubular coupling having a longitudinal slot throughout itslength in alinement with the longitudinal slot of the sluiceway.

6. A button-setting machine for buttons and attached fasteners having alongitudinally slotted sluiceway, a grooved trough projection connectedwith said sluiceway and projecting beyond the end thereof, having agroove in alinement with the slot in the sluiceway and which is adaptedto form a seat for a slotted feed-tube when the end of the feed-tube isbrought into engagement with the end of said sluiceway, a slidabletubular coupling which is adapted to con nect a feed-tube withsaid'trough, said tubular coupling having a longitudinal slot throughoutits length in alineinent with the longitudinal slot of the sluiceway,and a binding spring between the sluiceway and the coupling which formsa yielding friction-binder bet-ween the tubular coupling and the trough.

7. A button-setting machine for buttons and attached fasteners having alongitudinally slotted sluiceway, a grooved trough projection connectedwith said sluiceway and projecting beyond the end thereof, having agroove in alinement with the slot in the sluiceway and which is adaptedto form a seat for a slotted feed-tube when the end of the feed-tube isbrought into engagement with the end of said sluiceway, a slidabletubular coupling which is adapted to connect a feed-tube with saidtrough said tubular coupling having a longitudinal slot throughout itslength in alinement with the longitudinal slot of the sluiceway, and abinding spring between the sluiceway and the coupling which forms ayielding fric tion-binder between the tubular coupling and the trough,the flanges of said coupling on each side of the longitudinal slot beingthinned on their under sides toward the edges.

8. A button-setting machine for buttons and attached fasteners having alongitudinally slotted sluiceway, a grooved trough projection connectingwith said sluiceway and projecting beyond the end thereof, having agroove in alinement with the slot in the sluiceway and which is adaptedto form a seat for a feed-tube when the end of the feed-tube is broughtinto engagement with the end of said sluiceway, said trough sluicewayhaving vertical flanges on the sides which form guides for theconnecting end of a feed-tube and a tubular coupling having alongitudinal slot throughout its length in the upper side which isadapted to clamp a feed-tube to its seat in said trough.

9. A button-setting machine for buttons and attached fasteners having alongitudinally slotted sluiceway, a grooved trough projection connectedwith said sluiceway and projecting beyondthe end thereof, having agroove in alinenient with the slot in the sluiceway and which is adaptedto form a seat for a feed-tube when the end of the feed-tube is broughtinto engagement with the end of said sluiceway, said trough sluicewayhaving vertical flanges on the sides which form guides for theconnecting end of a feed-tube and a tubular coupling having alongitudinal slot throughout its length in the upper side which isadapted to clamp a feed-tube to its seat in said trough, the bottom ofsaid trough being bifurcated at its outer end and a binding-springsecured to the under side of the trough having its outer end free andbifurcated and forming a yielding friction-binder between said couplingand the trough.

10. A button-setting machine for buttons and attached fasteners having asluiceway with a longitudinal slot for the buttons and attachedfasteners which is adapted to be connected with a button-feed tube and aslidable tubular coupling which is adapted to connect said sluicewaywith a detachable feed-tube.

11. A button-setting machine for buttons and attached fasteners having asluiceway with a longitudinal slot for the buttons and attachedfasteners which is adapted to be connected with a button-feed tube and aslidable tubular coupling which is adapted to connect said sluicewaywith a detachable feed-tube, the flanges of said coupling on each sideof the longitudinal slot being thinned on their under side toward theedges.

In testimony whereof I atliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. PARKER.

Witnesses GEO. E. PARKER, J r., ALICE H. MORRISON.

